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Mon 21 February 2022 | 14:30

Top Facts about Nico Schulz, Der Berliner

It had been announced that Nico Schulz would be allowed to leave Borussia Dortmund during the summer transfer to bring an end to an extremely disappointing spell for the left sided player, however, he is going to stay at the club up to 30 June 2024. Read on to find out more facts about Nico Schulz.

Nico Schulz

is a German footballer who was born on April 1, 1993 in Berlin-Tegel. He was trained at Hertha BSC and can play defense and defensive midfield.

Schulz is currently under contract with

Borussia Dortmund

and has represented Germany at both the youth and senior levels.

Nico Schulz age

is 28. Here, you can find the most important facts about Nico Schulz, former Hoffenheim star.

The first fact about Nico Schulz is that he began his career at BSC Rehberge Berlin before joining Hertha BSC at the age of seven. As a young player, he impressed scouts from Liverpool, who offered him a contract, which he later declined.

He continued to play for Hertha's younger teams in the following years, reaching the final of the U19 DFB-Pokal in 2009–10, but losing 1–2 to 1899 Hoffenheim. Schulz attended a professional players' training camp over the next summer vacation.

On 14 August 2010, he made his first competitive appearance for the first team in a 2–0 victory against SC Pfullendorf in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, coming on as a replacement for Valeri Domovchiyski in the 81st minute.

Schulz was a frequent replacement and sometimes starter for the following two seasons. On March 30, 2013, he scored his first goal for Hertha BSC against VfL Bochum. Schulz signed a four-year contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 18, 2015.

He signed a three-year deal with 1899 Hoffenheim in 2017. Schulz, Julian Brandt, and Thorgan Hazard all joined Borussia Dortmund on May 22, 2019.

Top Facts about Nico Schulz:

An important fact about Nico Schulz is that he was called up to the complete Germany squad for the first time on August 29, 2018, for Germany's UEFA Nations League opener against

France

and a friendly against

Peru

in the 2018–19 season.

In the latter encounter, he made his international debut, scoring the game-winning goal in the 85th minute. Through his father, who is from Ischia, he was also eligible to play for Italy.

Nico Schulz early life

Speaking about

Nico Schulz childhood

, it should be mentioned that the son of an Italian father and a German mother, grew up in Berlin-Tegel and began playing football in his youth at BSC Rehberge in the Wedding district.

Schulz, then 18, dropped out of Poelchau High School during the 12th grade to pursue his professional career. Gian Luca (born 1999) is his younger brother and also a professional soccer player. There is not enough information available regarding

Nico Schulz parents

.

Nico Schulz personal life

Schulz was qualified to represent Italy at the international level because of his father. Gian Luca Schulz, his younger brother, is a professional footballer who now plays for Hansa Rostock

Maria used to date our Nico, however, their relationship has now ended. You could almost sense it from the distance these two were keeping, even in the above picture. They have two kids together.

Nico Schulz professional career

In the summer of 2019, Borussia Dortmund signed Nico Schulz early in the transfer window to build on their impressive 2018-19 campaign which saw them take the title race until the final day.

"I think I can help the team with what I bring to the table," he said. "Together we can achieve something big," Schulz said later in an interview.

Schulz played as a left-wingback under the future Leipzig and now Bayern coach

Julian Nagelsmann

. Under his system, Schulz excelled at bombing down the left wing and providing cut-back passes into the box for the strikers.

Playing as a wingback gave Schulz more freedom from his defensive duties, allowing him to use his energy and pace to wreak havoc on opposing defenders by running into open channels.

In fact, Schulz played a big part in taking Hoffenheim into their first ever Champions League campaign, where he started 5 of the group stage matches for the Sinsheim outfit.

Across two seasons for Hoffenheim, Schulz started 61 of his 71 appearances, scoring 4 goals and providing 9 assists which led him to becoming a regular in the national team setup for Die Mannschaft.

However, upon his arrival in Dortmund, Schulz was converted to a traditional full back under then Head Coach Lucien Favre, and unfortunately Schulz never looked comfortable playing in that position.

Nico Schulz club career

An important

fact about Nico Schulz

is that he transferred to Hertha BSC's youth academy when he was seven years old. There, he put in good performances, which drew the attention of

Liverpool FC

scouts. Schulz, on the other hand, declined an offer to play for Liverpool's youth team in the future.

In the years since, he has reached the final of the DFB Junior Club Cup 2009/10 with his club's youth team, which took place in the local amateur stadium and was lost 1:2 to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.

Hertha

During the summer break that followed, Schulz went to the training camp for the first time with the Hertha pros, who played in the 2nd Bundesliga, and made such an impression that he was dismissed by head coach Markus Babbel on August 14, 2010 in the first round of the DFB Cup in the 2-0 win in Pfullendorf played his first competitive game for Hertha's first team; he came on in the 81st minute for Valeri Domowtschijski.

Six days later, in a 3-2 home win over Rot-Weiss Oberhausen, the defender made his Bundesliga 2 debut, coming on for Domowtschijski just before the end of the game. During the 2010/11 season, he was mostly used as a substitute for coach Babbel's missions.

Hertha had been promoted after Schulz had played for the Berliners in the first round of the cup and on the first day of the season at the start of the 2015/16 season. The Champions League participant signed him to a four-year contract.

Borussia Mönchengladbach

On September 19, 2015, Matchday 5, he made his debut for

Borussia Mönchengladbach

as a substitute for Ibrahima Traoré in a 1-0 loss to 1. FC Köln.

In October 2015, he tore his cruciate ligament in a test match against MSV Duisburg, forcing him to miss the rest of the season as Borussia finished bottom of the Champions League group stage.

The defensive player was able to regain match practice in the regional league team in the summer of 2016, but only made 16 short appearances for the first team, including the Europa League knockout round against league rivals Schalke 04.

Hoffenheim

A notable

fact about Nico Schulz

is that he moved to

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

in the summer of 2017, where he signed a three-year contract. In December 2018, this was extended for another year.

With the Kraichgauers, the regular player finished third, resulting in the season's best performance to date and the club's first entry into the Champions League. Schulz and TSG did not advance past the group stage. Hoffenheim finished ninth in the 2018/19 Bundesliga season, missing out on another trip to Europe.

Borussia Dortmund

An important

fact about Nico Schulz

is that he has signed a contract with Borussia Dortmund for the 2019/20 season. He agreed to a contract that will last until June 30, 2024. He won his first title with the club in August 2019, defeating last season's doubles champion

FC Bayern Munich

2-0 in the DFL- Supercup.

On Matchday 15, the defender scored for BVB for the first time in the Bundesliga in a 4-0 away win against

1. FSV Mainz 05

.

He saw some action on the left defensive flank early in the season. There, the club's fifth most expensive newcomer to date, who had already appeared in ten senior international matches, failed to impress.

In contrast to his role in Hoffenheim, his defensive duties increased as a member of the back four, but an average tackle and ball loss rate spoke against him after Schulz's first few games.

After Lucien Favre switched to a 3-4-3 formation, the defender was forced to play left midfield. He was a backup to Raphael Guerreiro in both positions, mostly sat on the bench in the second half of the season, and only returned to the field for brief appearances in the final three games.

A notable fact about Nico Schulz is that he was also at a disadvantage to Guerreiro in 2020/21, and only represented the regular player when he was injured. The defender was Favre's replacement, especially near the end of the season. Edin Terzi received five starting eleven nominations, and Dortmund conceded nine goals in these games.

Schulz finally reached third place in the table with Borussia Dortmund after a string of seven league wins, allowing him to qualify for the Champions League. The winger appeared in two cup games and helped his teammates win the competition in spring 2021.

Nico Schulz international career

Nico Schulz appeared in 51 games for Germany's junior teams at the U15, U16, U17, and U18 levels. Schulz's first goals for a German national team came during qualifying for the 2012 U19 European Championship. The DFB team did not advance to the finals of the European Championship.

An important fact about Nico Schulz is that he has been a member of the German U21 national team since August 2013.

He competed in six qualifying matches for the 2015 European Championships, and he qualified with the team for the finals in the Czech Republic. Schulz appeared in all four games but was eliminated in the semi-finals by

Portugal

, who defeated him 5-0.

On August 29, 2018, he was called up by national coach

Joachim Löw

for the UEFA Nations League group game against France and the friendly against Peru.

On September 9, 2018, he made his senior international debut against Peru in Sinsheim, scoring the game-winning goal in the 84th minute.

Nico Schulz and league title race

Why are we so dismissive of players so frequently? They're either good or awful. That is all there is to it. Not merely misunderstood, but also unsuited to a certain style, system, club, coach, or league. We reduce players to two extremes: brilliant or horrible. However, things are seldom that simple.

An important fact about Nico Schulz is that he has been a senior football player for over a decade. For Hertha BSC, he started out as a winger and left-back, but he didn't have much of an impact. Then as an offensive left-back for Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he was never first choice and suffered a cruciate ligament rupture.

Then he moved on to TSG Hoffenheim. And he was fantastic. Schulz became almost unstoppable when Hoffenheim finished third in the Bundesliga in 2017/18 and ninth in 2018/19, fully healthy and playing in a manner that suited him well.

In those two seasons, his play was so good that he became a regular for

Germany

, and Borussia Dortmund was persuaded to pay €25.5 million to get him. The issue is that he hasn't been particularly effective there.

It seems like this is soon to change. Schulz's function at Hoffenheim was rather straightforward. He could play in a straight line for the most part.

The wings were left open ahead of the wingbacks, allowing Schulz, like Pavel Kadeábek on the other side, to surge forward and stretch Hoffenheim's opponents. The complexities that take place in the center of the pitch? It's not his issue.

Teammates obstructing his progress by filling the area in front of him? It's never been an issue. Get the ball, if required, play a one-two, and outpace your opponent.

The role's simplicity was evident, and it complemented what Schulz brought to the table while obscuring what he didn't have to give.

And that begs the question of what Dortmund was expecting. Dortmund nearly often played with two players on either wing under Lucien Favre. A wingback who can also play as a wide player. They'd have to work together, and they'd have to dovetail.

In Favre's first season at the club, he didn't trust Raphael Guerreiro to play left-back, and it appeared like the Portuguese would depart in the summer of 2018, but no bids came in, so he remained.

He not only stayed, but he excelled. So Schulz came for €25.5 million, only to discover that Dortmund still had a player in his position who was a lot closer to what Favre was looking for.

Schulz has been on the ball more since joining Dortmund, but he has been required to combine in build-up situations, burst through a press, or locate a good pass a lot more regularly. Everything he did before he got control of the ball, which was usually farther upfield in a Hoffenheim jersey.

Schulz lacks Guerreiro's fast feet and positional flexibility in the final third, and he has failed to establish a rapport with the winger in front of him.

It hasn't gone as planned. In the past two seasons, the German has only started 13 Bundesliga games. There are much less shot-creating actions in comparison to his Hoffenheim seasons, and he isn't moving the ball nearly as far upfield when he gets it, despite getting possession much closer to his own goal far more often.

However, with Marco Rose in command of the Schwarzgelben, things are looking brighter. Schulz was anticipated to be sold this summer, but no offers came in, and he has begun the new season in the side, with Guerreiro sidelined after his participation in Euro 2020.

Rose's fast, direct approach and limited system seem to be a good fit for him. He can play in straight lines, make use of his agility, and reclaim the flank.

Dormund played a 4-diamond-2 formation in preseason and in last week's cup triumph against Wehen Wiesbaden under their new manager.

It looks to be ideal for bringing out the best in the bulk of their players, including Schulz. BVB switched to a 4-3-3 formation for the Bundesliga opener against

Eintracht Frankfurt

, but

Marco Reus

played his left-sided position rather narrowly, giving Schulz plenty of room ahead of him.

It's excellent news for Schulz, and it's also good news for Dortmund, who have a lot of questions about their defense on the other side.

The narrow approach that seems to favor Schulz also makes Felix Passlack a more feasible option on the right flank, which might be beneficial to Thomas Meunier, who struggled in his first season with the club and has said that he would be better suited to a more attacking position.

There are already evidence that Dortmund has found a coach who can make the team stronger than the sum of its parts, bringing out the best in players who were previously thought unfit and maximizing the qualities of everyone in his roster.

Dortmund are serious championship challengers this season with that in the dugout and on the training field, as well as a roster consisting of very excellent players like

Erling Haaland

, Marco Reus, and Jude Bellingham.

Bayern Munich, like always, is the issue. Julian Nagelsmann, too. Bayern's team is undoubtedly weaker than it was a year ago, when it was already worse than the year before. Nagelsmann, on the other hand, merely improves teams.

Nobody appears to be able to put together a squad that can pull as much out of its players as the 34-year-old, who has a lengthy line of players who have excelled under him before moving on and disappointing their new employers.

Kevin Vogt, Joelinton, Mark Uth, Jeremy Toljan, and Sebastian Rudy have all disappointed Werder Bremen, Newcastle, Schalke, Dortmund, and Bayern Munich supporters.

Nagelsmann was, after all, the coach who was able to extract so much from Schulz that Dortmund was willing to pay €25.5 million for him in the first place.

Nico Schulz state at BVB

"Nico Schulz is a defender who has taken a huge stride forward in his development," remarked Michael Zorc, Borussia Dortmund's sports director.

It's been a well-kept secret in Germany for quite some time, and it's a deal with considerable weight. After all, Borussia Dortmund's left-back position has been a concern for the whole of the season, with Marcel Schmelzer battling injuries and a lack of form.

As a consequence, head coach Lucien Favre was obliged to use

Abdou Diallo

, Manuel Akanji, and even Dan-Axel Zagadou as centre-backs on the left side of the back four.

However, neither player was actually capable of delivering a long-term international class answer. Raphael Guerreiro is also capable of playing the position, although Favre prefers him farther up the field.

As a result, Dortmund's choice to recruit Nico Schulz from Hoffenheim was a reasonable one. Since his debut for Hertha Berlin in 2012, the left-back has been hailed as a rising star in Germany.

After that, he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2015, but due to a difficult injury, the left-back was never able to reach his full potential at Gladbach.

Schulz joined Gladbach's league rival Hoffenheim in the summer of 2017 in a move that would really kick start his career. Nico Schulz became one of Germany's top left-backs/wing-backs under Hoffenheim head coach Julian Nagelsmann, scoring four goals and 13 assists in 71 appearances for the Kraichgauer.

Schulz effectively walked the tight line between having to play as a left-back and a full-back under Nagelsmann's versatile 3-5-2/3-3-2-2 system. Schulz became a vital component in Bundestrainer Joachim Löw's rebuilt after a disappointing 2018 World Cup campaign after playing in such system with Hoffenheim.

In September, the 26-year-old made his national team debut, scoring the game-winning goal in Germany's 2-1 triumph against Peru. Löw gradually moved the national team away from 4-2-3-1 possession football and toward a more counter-pressing approach with a 3-5-2 formation, making five more appearances.

Germany was relegated from the UEFA Nations League after a tough transition. Nico Schulz, on the other hand, was the star in Germany's Euro 2020 qualifying campaign opener against the

Netherlands

in March.

Oranje equalized in the second half after going up 2-0 in the first, but Marco Reus would assist his future teammate in clinching a crucial win for Die Mannschaft right before the final whistle.

Nico Schulz gained notoriety as a result of the game. Nico Schulz is a unique commodity in German football, since he is versatile, quick, strong in defense, and has been taught by Julian Nagelsmann.

"His physical traits, pace, and dynamic play will assist us just like they do for the national team," Zorc added. "Any club would benefit from a player with his hunger and battling spirit," Zorc remarked.

Nico Schulz remarked, "Borussia Dortmund is a quality team that fits my style of play." "I believe my style of play will benefit the squad." Together, we can do great things," he continued.

Two years ago, the Germany international joined Borussia Dortmund. Nico Schulz's dashes down the left flank infuse pace into the Black & Yellows' game; he was clocked achieving speeds of 34.4 km/h last season.

 "I didn't have to think about it for a second since I had the opportunity to join such a great squad, a true championship challenger." After completing his transfer to the Strobelallee, the former Hoffenheim star commented, "I believe my style of play gels in incredibly well with the squad."

 "Coming here to play against BVB has always been a special experience for me," the left-back said when he first signed: "Coming here to play against BVB has always been a unique experience for me."

That's something I believe every gamer will tell you. It's one of Europe's most beautiful stadiums, with a fantastic atmosphere at every game. I'm overjoyed to be able to call it home."

BSC Rehberge, a club headquartered in the city's Wedding district, is where the native Berliner first learned to play football. Schulz grabbed the attention of Hertha BSC scouts when he was only seven years old, and from the summer of 2000 onwards, he was able to get a first-rate footballing education at the capital's greatest club.

In 2008, he drew the interest of Liverpool FC, although a transfer to England was never a genuine prospect for the young Schulz: "At 15, I was still a child." For me, that would have been too much of a change."

As a result, he remained in Berlin. Soon after, he was representing his nation at every age category from U15 to U19, and on August 20, 2010, at the age of 17, he made his first team debut for

Hertha Berlin

in a 2. Bundesliga match against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen.

Schulz transferred to VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2015 after a total of 98 appearances for the Berlin-based club. He made his Bundesliga debut on Matchday 5 of the 2015/16 season. This was, ironically, current BVB head coach Lucien Favre's last game as Gladbach coach.

Schulz sustained a cruciate ligament damage not long after and failed to make an impression in the side coached by Favre's replacement André Schubert.

Schulz maintained his momentum the following season, with a kicker magazine average rating of 2.88, tied for sixth among outfield players in the league with Jadon Sancho and just five hundredths of a percentage point behind the league leader.

With this extraordinary constancy, the guy of Italian ancestry - his father was born on the island of Ischia - not only drew the attention of Borussia Dortmund, but also the German national team.

He earned his first cap on September 9, 2018, when he came in as a substitute in a 2-1 victory over Peru and scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute. Coach Joachim Löw was full of praise for the newcomer after the game, "Nico gives out a lot of energy. With us, I believe he has the potential to truly shine."

Another highlight of his Germany career occurred in a Euro qualifying encounter against the Netherlands in Amsterdam, when he scored a 90th-minute goal alongside Dortmund legends Ilkay Gündogan and Marco Reus to seal a stunning 3-2 victory for Die Mannschaft.

"I've never worked on speed explicitly." Schulz explains, "It's simply what I was born with." "It was evident from an early age that I'd be well-suited to playing on the left flank as a speedy left-footer." I used to play further up the field, on the left side of midfield, for example, but I always felt that lining up in a back four worked best for me."

During his debut season with BVB, he made a total of 11 Bundesliga games, scoring one goal (away to Mainz). He also played in the UEFA Champions League and the DFB Cup three times each.

Nico Schulz style of play

But what is Schulz's own style? He is a less defensive player than Dortmund's current full-backs, according to advanced data. Dortmund's Lukasz Piszczek had the most effective defensive actions last season (9.11 per 90 minutes).

Marcel Schmelzer (8.57), Abdou Diallo (7.01), Marius Wolf (5.7), and Manuel Akanji are his closest competitors (5.59). With 5.13 successful defensive actions per 90 minutes last season, Nico Schulz is bottom among current Dortmund players in that area.

Those figures, however, come with a stipulation. In Hoffenheim's 3-5-2 system, Schulz's position is more offensively oriented than full-backs in Lucien Favre's 4-2-3-1 formation.

Schulz's effective offensive moves during the 2018-19 season attest to this. This season, the 26-year-old has 6.5 successful offensive actions per 90 minutes for Hoffenheim. That would put him third among current Dortmund players after

Christian Pulisic

(10.35) and Jadon Sancho (9.08), and fourth if Thorgan Hazard is included (7.41).

Nico Schulz is third among Dortmund's current team with eight assists, behind

Jadon Sancho

(16) and Marco Reus (9) — Hazard has 11. Nico Schulz would be second only to Sancho (11.41) in terms of predicted assists per 90 minutes last season, with 11.01 xA.

Nico Schulz is a balance payer, as shown by these figures. Nagelsmann's tactical style with Hoffenheim allows him to be both an offensive and defensive danger. Will Schulz's appointment, on the other hand, result in a tactical shift at Dortmund?

After all, Schulz's strengths may be best shown in a 3-5-2 formation similar to that used by Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, and now Germany.

With Hazard and Julian Brandt on the way, a tactical tweak isn't out of the question, particularly because Favre, who was frequently tactically constrained by his roster last season, now has greater tactical freedom owing to the newcomers.

Some quick facts about Nico Schulz:

Nico Schulz, the son of an Italian father, Luigi, and a German mother, began his football career with the juniors of BSC Rehberge.

He joined Hertha Berlin in 2000. From the start, he was able to persuade the recruiters of Liverpool FC, allowing him to stand out, but he declined their offer and stayed in Berlin.

Later, he reached the 2009/10 DFB Junior Club Cup final, which was held at home, but lost 1-2 to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.

Schulz participated in the professional training camp for the first time the following summer and made such an impression that he played his first match with the Hertha first team in the first round of the German Cup in Pfullendorf on August 14, 2010 after being replaced by Valeri Domovchijski in the 81st minute.

Six days later, Schulz made his Bundesliga debut in a 3-2 home win over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, being replaced by Domovchijski shortly before the match's end. During the 2010-2011 season, he played only as a substitute under Markus Babbel's leadership.

Schulz was transferred to Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 18, 2015, after being only a substitute in the first round of the cup at the start of the 2015-2016 season and the first day of the championship. The Champions League participant has signed him to a four-year contract.

On September 19, 2015, he made his debut for Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 5, when he was replaced by Ibrahima Traoré in a 1-0 loss to 1. FC Cologne. In October 2015, he ruptured his cruciate ligament in a friendly against MSV Duisburg, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.

A notable fact about Nico Schulz is that he moved to 1899 Hoffenheim for the 2017–18 season, signing a three-year contract. He was given the number 16, which had previously been worn by Pirmin Schwegler.

May 21st, 2019 Nico Schulz has signed a five-year contract with Borussia Dortmund for a fee of 27 million euros.

Schulz has made 51 appearances for Germany's youth teams, but he has yet to score for the U15, U16, U17, or U18 national teams.

He scored his first two goals for a German national team against Northern Ireland in qualifying for the 2012 European Under-19 Championship. However, the German team does not advance to the European Championship final.

On September 9, 2018, he made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against Peru, scoring the game-winning goal (score: 2-1).

Nico Schulz social media

Regarding

Nico Schulz social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

@nico_schulz

) with 176k followers. In the page we can see various pictures of him with the fans and his family.

Nico Schulz body measurements

Speaking about

Nico Schulz body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the player is 181 cm and 83 kg.

Nico Schulz net worth and salary

The left defender signed a deal with Borussia Dortmund in July 2019 that pays him a staggering 1.3 million Euro (1.1 million Pound) each year. According to our calculations, he makes €3,561.64 (£3,013.70) per day.

Nico Schulz net worth

is estimated to be around 3.5 Million Euros.

 

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